Beyonce Silver??

[jobeterob]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/02/us/beyonce-rennaissance-film-colorism-reaj/index.html

Is this fair or is she just an easy target because she’s so successful ?

[Albator]

I used to read the same about Diana in the seventies and eighties amd maybe even before with the Supremes.

[Ollie9]

I don’t believe Mary Wilson received any flack for her blond wig phase during the late 60’s, or Diana for that matter when she went blond at the World Music Awards in 96.
Doris Day being of course one of Berry Gordy’s favourite singers, as well as Billie Holiday. He certainly had an eclectic taste in music.

[sansradio]

Ummm...why is this in the DRATS Forum?

Anyhow, Ollie: I think the reason some folk are up in arms about Bey's appearance at the premiere has a lot to do with how she's positioned herself as a pro-Black advocate in ways that people like Diana and Mary never did publicly [you might add Etta James and Tina Turner to the list as well, as only two of the most prominent examples of blondes in Black culture]. So the juxtaposition of that pro-Black stance with what seems to be a washed-out appearance due to lighting or whatever is jarring or even off-putting for some...never mind the fact that she's actually a light-skinned woman who's nearly always rocked blonde hair with nary a peep. What's getting lost in the sauce is that Black folks come in all colors of skin and hair, as Tina Knowles rightly pointed out in her fierce defense of her daughter. I've seen photos from the same event where Bey doesn't look as pale, and the silver hair was a nod to the theme of her album, tour and film. But at the same time, the legacies of colorism are still very pernicious, real and alive within communities of color globally. So it's thorny.

E.T.A.: On second thought, Diana has, in fact, been dogged by skin-lightening rumors for years, for what it's worth. So this discussion does have a lineage where she's concerned...but still confused as to why this was posted here in the first place.

[Ollie9]

Ummm...why is this in the DRATS Forum?

Anyhow, Ollie: I think the reason some folk are up in arms about Bey's appearance at the premiere has a lot to do with how she's positioned herself as a pro-Black advocate in ways that people like Diana and Mary never did publicly [you might add Etta James and Tina Turner to the list as well, as only two of the most prominent examples of blondes in Black culture]. So the juxtaposition of that pro-Black stance with what seems to be a washed-out appearance due to lighting or whatever is jarring or even off-putting for some...never mind the fact that she's actually a light-skinned woman who's nearly always rocked blonde hair with nary a peep. What's getting lost in the sauce is that Black folks come in all colors of skin and hair, as Tina Knowles rightly pointed out in her fierce defense of her daughter. I've seen photos from the same event where Bey doesn't look as pale, and the silver hair was a nod to the theme of her album, tour and film. But at the same time, the legacies of colorism are still very pernicious, real and alive within communities of color globally. So it's thorny.

E.T.A.: On second thought, Diana has, in fact, been dogged by skin-lightening rumors for years, for what it's worth. So this discussion does have a lineage where she's concerned...but still confused as to why this was posted here in the first place.

Good points sans. Although not a pro-black activist in the vein of Beyoncé, Diana has always stated publicly that she is proud of the colour of her skin dating back to her early days.
From my own experience, she rarely seems popular with the black community, either for marrying white men, or the fact that she wore long weave.
Regarding skin colour, it’s pretty much down to lighting. I remember when first seeing Diana in the 90’s and being surprised at just how dark skinned she actually is.
Celebrities are always looking to reinvent themselves, so for me it’s hard to understand-here in 2023 the outrage of a black singer sporting a blond look.
I guess there will always be some in this world who take offence.

[lucky2012]

Ummm...why is this in the DRATS Forum?

Anyhow, Ollie: I think the reason some folk are up in arms about Bey's appearance at the premiere has a lot to do with how she's positioned herself as a pro-Black advocate in ways that people like Diana and Mary never did publicly [you might add Etta James and Tina Turner to the list as well, as only two of the most prominent examples of blondes in Black culture]. So the juxtaposition of that pro-Black stance with what seems to be a washed-out appearance due to lighting or whatever is jarring or even off-putting for some...never mind the fact that she's actually a light-skinned woman who's nearly always rocked blonde hair with nary a peep. What's getting lost in the sauce is that Black folks come in all colors of skin and hair, as Tina Knowles rightly pointed out in her fierce defense of her daughter. I've seen photos from the same event where Bey doesn't look as pale, and the silver hair was a nod to the theme of her album, tour and film. But at the same time, the legacies of colorism are still very pernicious, real and alive within communities of color globally. So it's thorny.

E.T.A.: On second thought, Diana has, in fact, been dogged by skin-lightening rumors for years, for what it's worth. So this discussion does have a lineage where she's concerned...but still confused as to why this was posted here in the first place.

I think Jobeterob posted here because Beyonce & Diana are or were the most successful black female superstars.


Is this fair or is she just an easy target because she’s so successful ?

No, it isn't fair.

[captainjames]

Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Tyra Banks, KeKe Palmer and Mary J. Blige have also wore blonde hair. I can' remember anyone saying anything about them. Heck, I can even remember Patti in blonde wig and Aretha in a brown/reddish wig. My opinion is that your hair color or what you wear determines whether you have disowned or ashamed of where you came from or who you are. I have even seen red, green and purple hair on some and I guess I should assume those folks want to be aliens or clowns. Only in America.

[jobeterob]

[QUOTE=lucky2012;783826]I think Jobeterob posted here because Beyonce & Diana are or were the most successful black female superstars.

The real reason I posted it here is this portion of the forum is where the action is - other than Word Association

In the Motown Forum there’s a thread about Motown Treasures dieing

[jobeterob]

Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Tyra Banks, KeKe Palmer and Mary J. Blige have also wore blonde hair. I can' remember anyone saying anything about them. Heck, I can even remember Patti in blonde wig and Aretha in a brown/reddish wig. My opinion is that your hair color or what you wear determines whether you have disowned or ashamed of where you came from or who you are. I have even seen red, green and purple hair on some and I guess I should assume those folks want to be aliens or clowns. Only in America.

Basically, that means she’s a target because she is super stratosphere popular

[captainjames]

Basically, that means she’s a target because she is super stratosphere popular

I would agree with that.

[Guy]

I think Jobeterob posted here because Beyonce & Diana are or were the most successful black female superstars.

"Umm...what?!"

-- Whitney, Aretha, Tina and Donna in Heaven

[Guy]

Basically, that means she’s a target because she is super stratosphere popular

Precisely. Given her popularity and ubiquity, it is still jarring to receive the occasional reminders that she IS Black, a woman, over 40 and occupying a space in popular culture where some still do not want her to be. Her unprecedented success makes her a brilliant, chrome-plated, platinum-haired target for criticism from every angle.